KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — The chair and board member of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), who have ties to Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders, denied cronyism in their appointments to the government’s microfinancing agency for the poor.
AIM chair Datuk Junaidah Kiting, who is married to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s political secretary Abu Bakar Yahya, and AIM board member Nurul Iman Dzulkefly, daughter of Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad, said their appointments were based on merit.
“I am a businesswoman in my own right. I developed my own cosmetic line with a small capital, just like the majority of poor women we are helping,” Junaidah told local daily The Star.
“It is unfair to allege cronyism in my appointment to the AIM chair just because I am the wife of the PM’s political secretary.
“As a woman entrepreneur who has gone through hardship just as the 340,000 women we are helping now, I believe I understand them and want to ensure AIM plays its role,” she was quoted saying.
Nurul Iman reportedly expressed concerns that her relationship to Dzulkefly would be an issue.
“There were initially no women board members despite the agency being a microfinancing one to assist mostly poor women to set up businesses. I was approached on that basis, and also because of my expertise. As I also have a legal background, I was asked to offer legal advice to AIM,” she was quoted saying.
The appointment of the two women wascriticised by Johor DAP politician Dr Boo Cheng Hau yesterday, who said “the old BN/Umno ways are manifestly creeping into the new Pakatan Harapan culture and policies”.
